Wicked!

We're going to see Wicked in February! I'm so excited! I have wanted to see this play ever since I started listening to the soundtrack about five years ago, read the book it's based on (and the sequel), and learned as much as I could about it. When we moved here to Arizona three years ago, it was playing at a nearby theater but we were so short on cash from moving that there was no way we would be able to go. Someone told me that it came back every few years, though, so I've been biding my time. A week ago I heard it was coming back to town so I looked it up. It is set to run from the middle of Feb. through the beginning of March...the exact time we're looking at moving to Idaho. I told Robert we were NOT leaving until I saw Wicked! A week ago there were hundreds of seats available...today I was finally able to buy our tickets and it was darn near close to being sold out! We got some pretty good seats, though. A little further to the side then I wanted, but good. The clincher, though, is they're for the 28th...two days before we have to be out of the house. Anything for the theater. I'm a die-hard.

Merry Christmas!

(Craig, Ethan, and Grant in their matching PJs and me in my new super silky ones.)

Santa's coming tonight! I'm so excited! We had a great Christmas Eve. We're going to visit Robert's mom tomorrow who lives about two hours away and we are coming home tomorrow night which won't leave much time for a big meal. So, we had our big Christmas dinner tonight and invited some friends over. It was quite the feast. Robert did just about everything...I only made the sweet potato casserole and a pecan pie. I did the cleaning and decorating. :) Here are some pictures from our pajama-opening night. I really made out. :) Merry Christmas!My beautiful new robe.

My first pair of toe socks. :) Santa listened when I told him what I wanted for Christmas! I was really only expecting pajamas.

How could he NOT be the favorite?!

I'm pretty sure I've posted this picture before, but the little bubble in his mouth, the chubby cheeks, and the lighting make my little Grant-ly so adorable in this picture I wanted to post it again.

This post is for Grant...because I love him. Because he's so darn cute. Because I feel guilty that I didn't give Ethan enough face time when he was a baby and am trying to not let that happen to Grant. Really. I barely remember Ethan's life before he started walking and talking. It's like the stork dropped him off at 18 months old. I guess Craig was just so young, too, and so much more...um...active that Ethan was just along for the ride for a while.

Mr. Bumbo-boy. He loves this thing...for about eight minutes and then he's done. There's nothing Grant loves more than to lay on the floor, almost rolling over and getting just far enough to lick the carpet. That darn arm just gets in the way. He take tummy just as well...about eight minutes and then he's ready to flip over. He's done it himself once or twice, but not consistently yet. With Craig and Ethan running around, the poor little boy doesn't get enough floor time to practice.

My little caterpillar/pupa/burrito/sausage. Aren't sleeping babies just the cutest thing in the world? And don't worry, I laid him in his crib right after this was taken (although I won't pretend I've succumbed to the temptation previously to not disturb him and instead left him lying in our bed, but more towards the middle).

Thanksgiving

We're almost to Christmas, so I thought I'd better post about our Thanksgiving trip before I got two holidays behind. We decided to head up to Colorado Springs for Thanksgiving to spend it with my brother Scott and his family. We had a really great time. I love seeing new places and it actually felt like fall! The weather was beautiful and crisp...just perfect. Craig and Ethan had a great time with their cousins and all the new toys to play with. We went to the park a couple of times (they live in a great neighborhood), Scott took us to tour the Air Force Academy, and we went to see The Garden of the Gods.

The only downer to the trip was the second day we were there (the day before Thanksgiving), I got what I'm pretty sure was my first full-blown migraine. I think it was brought on by the change in elevation and the fact that I hadn't been drinking enough water--their climate is very dry up there. It started as a little headache in the morning so I took a nap with the kids and woke up with my head pounding so hard it literally made me dizzy. It only got uglier from there, resulting in me sleeping for three more hours that afternoon. It finally began to subside, for which I was SO grateful. I thought I was coming down with the stomach flu the day before Thanksgiving and would infect the whole house. I had visions of all of us lying around Thanksgiving Day with something that felt similar to The Plague...an uncooked turkey on the counter and full bottles of Martinellis in the fridge. But, thankfully, I was blessed to survive and quickly recover and no one else got sick, therefore I am convinced it was a migraine. The rest of the time was great.

Here are the pictures from the moments that I remembered to get out the camera. :)


These pictures were taken at the park the morning before the onset of my Terrible Awful. The kids had fun here.

At the Garden of the Gods. Beautiful.

They had so much fun playing that they would wear themselves out and pass out almost every time we got in the car to go anywhere, even for just 10 minutes. Ethan's a sleeper, anyway, but it was Craig who surprised me .

The Kiddie table. Gosh, I can't believe I've arrived at the time in life when I'm one of the adults and my kids are at the Kiddie table. Not that they stayed there very long before they were off and playing again.


My sister-in-law, Lani, is such a trooper. Since we were traveling, there wasn't much I could do to help prepare food and bring it with me so everything was cooked there. And she's pregnant, due next month! I did get to bring the pies, made the Monday before Thanksgiving, and they turned out well. They were pumpkin and pecan, so they traveled well. She did most of everything else, though. I made a sweet potato casserole, but that was my only other contribution, other than helping her with little things here and there. But I kind of negated that contribution by clogging their garbage disposal with potato peels. Gee, I'm a great house guest! First I get sick and then this. Who wants to invite me over next? Luckily Plumber Scott only charged me the family rate.

I had so many things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful, clear afternoon (I love that last picture...it's so bright and perfect) with family and great food. Thanks Scott and Lani for having us!

I Believe...

You may or may not have noticed the button on the top right side of this blog page that says, "I believe...". I wanted to point it out since mormon.org has recently put my profile through and it is ready for anyone to view. Just click on the button and it will take you right to it. For those of you who are LDS out there, you probably know that the church is encouraging all of us to create a profile on mormon.org to help in the church's new media campaign. I really enjoyed thinking about why I'm a member of the church and writing down my testimony. Please feel free to read it and, for those of you who might be viewing who aren't members of the church, also feel free ask me any questions who might have.

Merry Christmas!

Wildlife World Zoo

About a month ago, we went to another zoo near Phoenix called the Wildlife World Zoo. We actually like it better than the Phoenix zoo since it's smaller and easier to get around and the animals are a little closer so you can see them better, which is great for little kids. They also have an aquarium with penguins. Here are the pictures from that trip.

In the visitor's center/gift shop they have this neat display of baby crocodiles. You crawl through a little tunnel and can stand up in the middle.

These little ducks eat right out of your hand.

This is a jaguar who's cage extends over the walkway. He likes to lay right over you. Robert was even able to reach through the double layer of chain link fence and touch his paw a little. He jumped when Robert did that, but then laid back down.

Craig and I rode their log/water ride. He was really nervous, but really wanted to do it. We got wet, but it wasn't too chilly that day and Craig loved it! Poor Ethan...he really wanted to go, too, (he's the little dare devil in the family) but was too short.

The Current Family Favorite

We found our toes!

Here's my little growing baby, Mr. Grant. I can't believe he's going on four months already! (Please ignore the ghetto blinds in the background of the above picture...it's hard enough to get our landlord to replace the vital things that break--besides, the blinds were like that when we moved in.)

I started sleep training my little munchkin and it's been SOOOOO nice. After trying many different sleep training/scheduling methods when Craig was a baby and then again with Ethan, I decided to start Grant right off with the only method that has ever truly worked for us. That method is laying them down and letting them cry it out until they get used to the routine and go to sleep on their own. I know, it's controversial, but in my experience it's the fastest way to get them to go to sleep on their own and stay asleep and then consistently sleep through the night. The other methods just draw the process out too long and it's more painful and less consistent in the end.

Anywho, the first day or so is the hardest. You just HATE hearing your sweet little baby cry. I took Grant into the bedroom, swaddled him, sang to him, put him down, and walked out. I heard the beginnings of some whining, and then.....nothing. He was out. I thought for sure it was beginner's luck and cringed when the next nap time came around. But, he did the same thing. During the night he's slept like an angel, waking up only for his 3am (ish) feeding and occasionally at 11:30 because he's kicked his blanket off and needs me to re-swaddle him. He's usually up around 7:00, three naps a day, and that's that! I can't believe how lucky I am. Neither of the other two were nearly this easy to put to sleep. I attribute it to the fact that he's had to learn to sleep through all kinds of things (screaming, fighting, hitting, throwing, general chaos) so he's already learned that if he wants to sleep, he just needs to give in to it and drop off. If I can say I'm grateful for Craig's active personality and Ethan's screaming habit, this would would be the reason.

We love you Grant! You're the family favorite...for now. :)

My grandpa, Oscar Henry Olson

The main reason for our trip to California this year is my grandpa's 90th birthday party. He is truly an amazing person. He has outlived two wives (both of my biological grandmothers...try to figure that one out :)) and looks as if he were about 15-20 years younger than he is. He is one of the few Americans, born and raised in North America, who can say he is 100% anything--most of us are mutts of the Great American Melting Pot. But not him. He's 100% Swedish, through and through. This post is in tribute of him with pictures from his party and that weekend.
This is my mom giving a history of my grandpa and his life. Since he's such an interesting person with so many neat little facts, I think I'll brag about him a little. Hey, it's not everyday someone reaches 90 years of age!

*His parents, Olaf (or Pops) and Karin, immigrated from Sweden in 1912 with my great-grandfather's brother, Hans. They left Liverpool, England and headed for Canada. Do you know what ship left Liverpool in 1912 and was headed for Canada? Yep, the Titanic. In fact, they almost bought third-class tickets on it but decided to go the cheaper route and chose a smaller ship. Phew! That was a close one.
*My grandpa (Oscar Olson, by the way), was born in Carrot River, Saskatchewan Canada in 1921. At the time, his dad and uncle were working the mill, farming, and trapping. My grandpa was born in a small cabin with (of course) no electricity or plumbing. Pops and Hans were some of the first settlers of Carrot River and were the ones who chose the name for that township. It is still known by that name today.
*The family moved to Northern California when my grandpas was about 2, so that's where his personal memories really begin. His dad worked the lumber mill in Westwood, CA, and in later years they moved to the bay area.
*When WWII began, he went to sign up for the Army but they turned him away since he was a Swede born in Canada. Later, the draft started up and as soon as they needed every able-bodied young man, he was made a citizen and sent off to Germany. There, he survived several critical battles of the war and was a POW for a little over a month before the war ended and he was liberated.
*His parents wanted to be Americans so they never taught him Swedish. He taught himself, though. He is fluent and has used it on his many trips back to Sweden (one of which I went with him about 10 years ago).
*The family in Sweden still has the original family farm where the "old house" (built in the 1600s, I think) and still stands as a kind of museum. The "new house" (built in the late 1800s) is lived in by some of our family.
*My Grandma Ruby (my dad's mom) died young in 1975 and several years later, after my mom's parents divorced and my parents were already married, he and my mom's mom were married. It made family holidays really easy. Sadly, my second grandma passed away in 1999.
*My grandpa still lives in the house they bought when my dad was only a few years old. The mortgage has been paid off since the 70s.
*He still drives and remains active. He inherited my grandma's cats and has loved taking care of them. He's even taken in some more as others have passed on.

These are pictures of my grandma Ruby and my grandpa. He always loved photography and had his own dark room in his house. He took these pictures.

The four people standing are the family members from Sweden who came out for the party. They love to travel and were wanting an opportunity to visit. They presented my grandpa with a traditional Swedish birthday gift, flowers (since they have such a short growing season they really value flowers over there). They also sang him their Swedish birthday song. It was a really nice touch.

My brother and sisters and I haven't all been together for this much time since Mother's Day 2007. All the cousins (our kids) have NEVER all been together at once. We'll hopefully have a reunion next year and all 14 kids will be together. Fun? I mean...fun! :) My brother came out for a family event last year in November but it was such a quick trip we didn't get to spend much time together like we did this time. Aren't my sisters both lovely? And my brother, the strapping Air Force Intelligence officer. I could do a tribute post for each of them. :)

The party turned out to be a great event. There were old friends he didn't expect to see and he was most surprised when some old buddies from the Oakland airport showed up that he worked with for 30 years before he retired. It was a lot of fun and he was really, truly touched. I spent close to a year living with him after graduating from Ricks, not to mention that we toured Sweden together for a month, so I have to say how grateful I am for having him as my grandpa and for getting to know him better in my adult life. I hope he sticks around so we can throw him a 100 year party and my boys can get to know him better. We love you, Grandpa!

Finally...our California trip

I am finally getting around to posting the pictures from our California trip. We left on October 21 and got there late that evening. Before going to my parent's house, we went to San Leandro (in the San Francisco Bay Area) where my grandpa lives and where we were holding his 90th birthday party on Saturday, the 22nd. My grandpa is a truly amazing person. But the details of the party are in another post.

After heading up to my hometown, Sonora, and my parents' house, we stayed for a little over a week. It was so close to Halloween that I wanted to stay and let the kids experience the holiday with the weather actually feeling like fall. My parents live in a neighborhood that gets literally hundreds of kids trick-or-treating every year. The atmosphere was awesome and Craig and Ethan had a lot of fun. We also got to go to the ward Halloween trunk-or-treat the Saturday before. Other activities while we were there included visiting Columbia (a restored ghost town from the mining days), Cover's Apple Ranch, and Railtown (including a train ride on a real steam train). I've gotta say, I grew up in one pretty awesome place. The weather was perfect for fall, it was beautiful, and nostalgia hit me in the pit of my stomach, then and now as I do this post.


My mom stayed with Grant so I could take Craig and Ethan on a stagecoach ride in Columbia. We were even robbed!

Playing with cousins in Columbia.

This is the Railtown station. It's so beautiful this time of year. It was once a working train station that is now restored. It houses many old, original steam engines and they offer 40 minute rides on a real train. Hollywood has done a lot of movies, T.V. shows, and commercials in the area, using Railtown trains and tracks. Some that you might know are Bad Girls, Petticoat Junction, Little House on the Prairie, and Back to the Future 3.

Craig and Lainey, a cousin, in Columbia. Can you believe she is two weeks older than him? I forget how tall he is.

These are some of the Railtown trains. This first one is engine #3, which is the most famous one. See it here.

Remember in Back to the Future 3 when the train's funnel explodes? This is the funnel they made for that scene.

Playing in what we used to call Rock City in Columbia. These rocks and boulders were actually exposed after the dirt was washed away due to hydraulic mining back in the 1800s during Columbia's heyday.

Me and my little kitten. :) Am I the only parent out there who dresses up for Halloween? I was that night among my family. I love it!

The only way we could get Craig to take this picture was if his really cool cousin Bryan stood in it with him. :) Ethan was running wild, so I had to rope him in and hold him. And this was BEFORE they got their candy.

On our train ride in Railtown.

Same as above.

Same.


And same again.




Playing on an old wagon in Columbia.

The miniature train ride at Cover's Apple Ranch. Craig seemed to like this one better than the real train. I think he liked being able to see his surroundings and this train went through TWO TUNNELS! The poor kid was totally distraught when the train started slowing down and the ride ended. Not even a cookie from the bakery could console him.

Feeding geese and ducks at the park near my parents' house.



Phew! Well, the pictures aren't in order, but I got them on here and explained the ones I thought I needed to. It was a lot of fun and hope we get to go back and visit again next year.

A tribute

Today is a very special day. It is 11/11/11, which in and of itself is special. It's also Veteran's Day, which is a special day, especially since both of my grandfather's are WWII veterans (one was at Pearl Harbor and the other was a POW in Germany), my dad was in the Marines during Vietnam, and my brother is currently a captain in the Air Force. We like the military just a little. :)

However, today is special for a reason that not too many people know about. Today is the day my little Grant turns three months old! He is officially out of the "fourth trimester." He's such a solid, strong little boy. We call him Chunk, sometimes, and I have memories of Goonies. He is almost rolling over, he can sit up in the bumbo seat all by himself, and he is the smilin-est little thing I've seen since Ethan was a baby. So, in tribute to my third son, my sweet little angel, I have a little picture montage of some of my favorite snapshots of him for your viewing enjoyment.